Bass clarinet body strap

ABSTRACT

The Bass Clarinet Body Strap allows a bass clarinetist to attach their body to their bass clarinet and its loop attachment point on the instrument situated above the bass clarinet thumb rest. A wide strap has one end that goes in front of the player approximately at chest level, and extends over one shoulder, across the back, down around the other side of their body coming out below the other arm, and around the front of the player&#39;s body where the two wide strap ends meet. One end of the wide strap has a lace attached that is manually passed through an opening in the other end of the wide strap and is affixed to the closed loop of a hook. This hook is then affixed to the bass clarinet loop attachment point above the thumb rest. A buckle on the strap allows for size adjustment.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION (a) Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to wearable body straps for bassclarinets.

(b) Description of the Related Art

When one hears or sees the term “clarinet,” such as the instrumentperformed and popularized in music by jazz great Benny Goodman, they areusually referring to the Bb soprano clarinet (FIG. 1). It also refers toan instrumental family group of clarinets, which include the Bb, A, Cand Eb soprano clarinets, as well as the bass clarinet (FIG. 2). Theseclarinets are all used in modern professional symphony orchestras.

Modern professional model clarinets are made from Grenadilla wood—amember of the rosewood family and a dense, strong, durable Africanblackwood that is less susceptible to cracks. Its full configurationincludes a mouthpiece, reed, and ligature (a clamp that holds the reedto the mouthpiece), and the soprano clarinet weighs approximately 1pound 13 oz., although student model clarinets use inexpensiveartificial materials that may vary in weight.

When playing the soprano clarinet, the instrument is stabilized to thebody through two points—with the mouth on the mouthpiece and the rightthumb pressed against the clarinet on the clarinet's lower joint with a“thumb rest” (FIG. 3) that sits on the thumb between the thumb nail andthe first joint on the right thumb (FIG. 4). Therefore, almost all ofthe weight of the instrument is transmitted through the thumb rest tothe right hand, arm, and shoulder. The right thumb becomes the primarystructural element supporting the clarinet weight with the mouthsupplying stabilization (FIG. 1). Over time and practice, supportingthis weight becomes second nature, and leaves the entire left hand andthe fingers of the right hand to “play the instrument” and effortlesslypress the various keys and cover the tone holes that make up thestandard Boehm clarinet fingering system used in the United States withno tension. The result is a very facile instrument able to play noteswith great rapidity and fluidity.

This facility can be achieved whether the performer is sitting orstanding, and enables the vast majority of clarinet players—starting inlate elementary school or middle school—to be able to play theinstrument without the need for any additional supportive equipment.

As mentioned earlier, the bass clarinet (FIG. 2) is a standard member ofthe professional symphony orchestra clarinet section. First invented inits present form by Adolph Sax in 1838, it began to have parts writtenfor it in the orchestra by major composers starting with German operacomposer Giacomo Meyerbeer who featured the instrument in a big solo inthe fifth act of his popular opera Les Huguenots. The bass clarinetbecame so prominent in the orchestra clarinet section that three entirebass clarinet excerpt books of difficult passages and solos from therepertoire were written and published by Michael Drapkin.

The bass clarinet is similar to the Bb soprano clarinet in that it isalso a Bb instrument, uses the same Boehm fingering system and is alsomade from dense Grenadilla wood. The difference is that it sounds anentire octave lower than the soprano clarinet. Therefore, due toacoustic requirements, the bass clarinet is much larger and heavier thanthe soprano clarinet in order to achieve the octave lower voicing.

The hand positioning and fingering of the bass clarinet are also nearlyidentical to the soprano clarinet, making it relatively easy for sopranoclarinetists to play the bass clarinet. There is also a thumb rest forthe right-hand thumb (FIG. 5). However, bass clarinets weigh between30-50 pounds, so the instrument cannot be held in the air as is donewith the soprano clarinet, as it is too heavy, and it is usually playedin the sitting position. Instead, when sitting, a “peg”—a metal rod witha rubber foot on one end—is attached to the bottom of the bass clarinetthrough a slip joint on the bottom joint of the bass clarinet andtightened using a large screw to hold it in place (FIG. 6). This way theheight of the instrument can be adjusted according to the taste andstature of the performer, and the weight of the instrument istransmitted to the floor via the peg's rubber foot.

The bass clarinet diverges from the soprano clarinets such that the keysare larger, and the spring tension is much heavier. This additionalspring tension results in the tendency for the bass clarinet to want topush away from the player when in the playing position (FIG. 7),especially since the instrument is balanced on the floor peg in aneutral position. This causes the player to have to divert some strengthin the fingers to pull the instrument back towards their body. Thetraditional solution to this problem has been for bass clarinetmanufacturers to include a “neck strap” that goes around the neck, withlaces that meet at a hook that is connected to a loop attachment pointpermanently affixed to the instrument above the right thumb rest (FIG.5).

While the major professional bass clarinet manufacturers in the UnitedStates (Selmer, Buffet, and Yamaha) include a generic neck strap similarto the one described in the previous paragraph as standard equipment(FIG. 8), it has severe shortcomings. Because the strap goes around theneck, it pulls downward on the neck and can create pain, discomfort, andstress on the neck, its muscles, and bones. Also, the angle of the strapgenerally extends upwards at a 45-degree or steeper angle (FIG. 8) fromthe loop attachment point on the bass clarinet to the neck, amplifyingthe tension to the neck and resulting in additional downward tension.This tension also makes it difficult for the bass clarinet player todisengage the mouth from the bass clarinet when not playing and toremove the hook on the neck strap from the bass clarinet when the mouthis engaged on the bass clarinet mouthpiece. Therefore, using a neckstrap when playing the bass clarinet can be painful, awkward, anduncomfortable.

Since the bass clarinet, with its heavy springs and keys, tends to pressaway from the player (FIG. 7), a means needs to be found to counteractthis force without causing undue pain and discomfort. Unlike the sopranoclarinet, which is held at an angle and engages the player at only twoplaces—the mouth and the right thumb (FIG. 1)—the weight and the heavyspring tension of the bass clarinet need to be counteracted andstabilized at four points: also through the mouth, the thumb, the floorpeg and a means of counteracting the spring tension of the instrument.Like with the soprano clarinet, the bass clarinet player needs to beable to effortlessly press the various keys involved in playing theinstrument with great facility and rapidity. Without a means ofcounteracting the bass clarinet's spring tension and stabilizing theinstrument, the player will be either constantly finding the instrumentto be pushing away from them or using the sides of the hand to try tostabilize the instrument, diverting their hands from being able to playeffortlessly or worse—to accidently hit keys and unintentionally playingwrong notes or other errors.

In view of the disadvantages inherent in the generic bass clarinet neckstraps provided by bass clarinet manufacturers and the necessity for ameans of counteracting the spring tension that pushes the instrumentaway from the player, the present invention provides a solution to allof these problems with a bass clarinet body strap.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In order to provide a solution to the above-mentioned limitations, thereis provided a bass clarinet body strap assembly comprising: a straphaving a first end and a second end, each end having an opening; a lacehaving two ends, one end of the lace connected to the second end of thestrap; a hook tied to other end of the lace, the hook to be attachedwith an eye of a bass clarinet, the hook feeds through the first end ofthe wide strap end and is affixed to the eye of the bass clarinet;wherein the strap goes in front of a bass clarinet player at chest leveland extends over shoulder and across back of the bass clarinet player,and coming out below an opposite arm, and around front of the bassclarinet player to where the first end and the second end meet.

The hook of the bass clarinet body strap assembly consists of two ends,wherein one end is a closed loop used for attachment by the lace, andanother end is open so that it can hook onto the bass clarinet's eyeattachment point that is built into the bass clarinet.

The bass clarinet body strap assembly further comprises an adjustmentbuckle that can increase or decrease the length of the strap.

The bass clarinet body strap assembly is provided with a reinforcedmaterial attached on the first end and the second end.

The bass clarinet body strap assembly thus consists of three parts.

-   -   (1) A wide strap that goes around the player's body. Starting in        front of the player at the bottom of the chest where the two        ends of the strap meet (FIG. 9), one end goes up over the        player's shoulder (FIG. 10), across the back (FIG. 11), down to        below the other arm where it comes around the front and meets        the other end (FIG. 12).    -   (2) A lace attached to the starting end of the strap passes        through the other end of the strap, pulling the two ends        together, and extends a short distance from the two ends        (FIG. 12) towards the bass clarinet when worn.    -   (3) A metal hook with one closed end and one open end, with the        lace affixed to the closed end (FIG. 12). The open end of the        hook can then be hooked to the loop attachment point on the bass        clarinet that is situated above the thumb rest (FIG. 13).

A buckle in the strap allows for significant adjustment of the length ofthe strap to accommodate different body sizes and needs of differentplayers (FIG. 14). Tightening the strap via the strap buckle pulls thebass clarinet closer when it is hooked to the strap assembly, consistingof the wide strap, lace and hook. This increases the tension between thebass clarinet and the bass clarinet player when in playing position(FIG. 15). Loosening the strap via the buckle increases the distancebetween the player and the bass clarinet.

This invention spreads the strap tension across the bass player's backresulting in both an extremely comfortable system, as well as pullingthe bass clarinet more directly towards the player with the exacttension desired by the player instead of previous affixation systemsthat put all of the stress on a narrow strip at the player's neck at asteeper angle from the bass clarinet. It also neutralizes the springtension of the bass clarinet, resulting in both a neutral hand positionallowing for effortless playing but also greater stability in playingposition.

Further, since the wide strap of the invention goes around the back, theplayer can wear a jacket or tuxedo over the entire strap except forwhere the two ends meet in front of the player (FIG. 15). The strapportion of the invention is also available in a variety of colors.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a Bb soprano clarinet being held in playing position.

FIG. 2 illustrates view of a soprano clarinet and a bass clarinet.

FIG. 3 illustrates a soprano clarinet thumb rest.

FIG. 4 illustrates a clarinet player's thumb in playing position on asoprano clarinet thumb rest.

FIG. 5 illustrates a bass clarinet player's thumb in playing position ona bass clarinet thumb rest with the loop attachment point above it.

FIG. 6 illustrates a view of a bass clarinet peg.

FIG. 7 illustrates a bass clarinet pushing away from the hands.

FIG. 8 illustrates a bass clarinet neck strap in playing position.

FIG. 9 illustrates a bass clarinet body strap being according to anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 illustrates the bass clarinet body strap extending over theplayer's shoulder, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 illustrates bass clarinet body strap, according to an embodimentof the present invention, going around the back of the player.

FIG. 12 illustrates the bass clarinet body strap ends together in frontwith the lace/hook assembly extended through the far end of the strap,according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 illustrates the bass clarinet body strap hooked to the bassclarinet at the loop attachment point, according to an embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 14 illustrates the strap adjustment buckle according to anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 illustrates the bass clarinet body strap, according to anembodiment of the present invention, being worn under a jacket.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 9-15, disclosed herein is a bass clarinet body strapassembly comprising a strap having a first end and a second end. Eachend consists of an opening. The bass clarinet body strap furthercomprises a lace having two ends wherein one end of the lace connectedto the second end of the strap. A hook is tied to other end of the laceand attached with an eye of the bass clarinet. The hook feeds throughthe first end of the wide strap end and is affixed to the eye of thebass clarinet. The strap goes in front of a bass clarinet player atchest level and extends over shoulder and across back of the bassclarinet player, and comes out below an opposite arm, and around frontof the bass clarinet player to where the first end and the second endmeet. The hook of the bass clarinet body strap assembly consists of twoends, wherein one end is a closed loop used for attachment by the lace,and another end is open so that it can hook onto the bass clarinet's eyeattachment point that is built into the bass clarinet. The bass clarinetbody strap assembly further comprises an adjustment buckle that canincrease or decrease the length of the strap. The bass clarinet bodystrap assembly is provided with a reinforced material attached on thefirst end and the second end.

A Bb soprano clarinet in playing position. The clarinet is supported bythe right thumb and the mouth on the mouthpiece and held at an angle ofabout 45 degrees. The weight of the instrument falls almost completelyon the right thumb.

A soprano clarinet next to a bass clarinet, giving a perspective on thedifference in size between the two instruments. A bass clarinet weights15-25 times more than a soprano clarinet, and plays an octave lower thanthe soprano clarinet, although most of today's modern bass clarinets areextended to a low C rather than low E on the soprano clarinet.

The thumb rest on a soprano clarinet. The right thumb goes right belowthe thumb rest to hold up the weight of the instrument.

A right hand in playing position on the soprano clarinet. The rightthumb is positioned below the thumb rest between the thumb nail and thefirst joint. The right thumb does not move while the instrument is beingplayed, and the fingers of the right hand are left totally relaxed foreffortlessly pressing the keys for great facility, rapidity, andfluidity.

The right hand in playing position on a bass clarinet. The thumb goes tothe same position as it does when playing the soprano clarinet—betweenthe right thumb nail and first joint—but does not support the weight ofthe instrument. This would be exceedingly difficult to do as a bassclarinet weights between 30-50 pounds. Identified in the photo are boththe thumb rest and the loop attachment point used by the Bass ClarinetBody Strap or any other support mechanism.

A view of the bass clarinet lower joint, with the bass clarinet peg,which transmits the weight of the bass clarinet to the floor. The peggoes into an adjustable slot on the bass clarinet bell joint that has atightening screw so that the player can adjust the height of theinstrument up and down. A rubber foot at the bottom of the peg keeps theinstrument from sliding.

The bass clarinet in playing position with no means of keeping theinstrument from moving away from the player. The weight of theinstrument is transmitted to the floor through the peg; therefore, theinstrument is in a neutral position that is subject to outward pressurefrom the mouth and hands.

The bass clarinet being played with a neck strap that is connected tothe loop attachment point above the right thumb rest. This applianceuses pressure from the neck to keep the instrument from moving away fromthe player. Because the strap goes around the neck, it pulls downward onthe neck and can create pain, discomfort and stress on the neck, itsmuscles, and bones. The steep angle of this neck strap (>45 degrees)amplifies the downward pressure and creates additional discomfort.

The Bass Clarinet Body Strap assembly showing the end of the strap withthe lace extending out to the hook that is fastened to the closed loopon the hook. It is being held in approximately the position where itwill be used—at the bottom of the chest.

The wide strap of the Bass Clarinet Body Strap which goes over oneshoulder.

The wide strap of the Bass Clarinet Body Strap which extends across theback, down around the other side of the back of the body.

The Bass Clarinet Body Strap positioned for use by a player. The hook isbeing held, ready to be attached to the bass clarinet loop attachmentpoint. The lace attached at one end to the starting end of the widestrap, and the other end is attached to the hook. The hook and lace gothrough the far end of the wide strap, bringing them together. This way,tension from pulling the bass clarinet towards the player is distributedacross the back instead of downward on the neck.

The hook of the Bass Clarinet Body Strap is hooked onto the bassclarinet loop attachment point, right above the thumb rest. In thisposition, the player is ready to play and stability and freedom areprovided through the Bass Clarinet Body Strap.

The adjustment buckle on the wide strap of the Bass Clarinet Body Strap.This allows the wide strap length to be shortened or lengthened to allowfor differences in player size and desired distance and pressure betweenthe bass clarinet and the player.

Playing position with the Bass Clarinet Body Strap. It fits under ajacket or tuxedo.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A bass clarinet body strap assemblycomprising: a strap having a first end and a second end, each end havingan opening; a lace having two ends, one end of the lace connected to thesecond end of the strap; a hook tied to other end of the lace, the hookto be attached with an eye of a bass clarinet, the hook feeds throughthe first end of the wide strap end and is affixed to the eye of thebass clarinet; wherein the strap goes in front of a bass clarinet playerat chest level and extends over shoulder and across back of the bassclarinet player, and coming out below an opposite arm, and around frontof the bass clarinet player to where the first end and the second endmeet.
 2. A bass clarinet body strap assembly of claim 1, furthercomprising an adjustment buckle that that can increase or decrease thelength of the strap.
 3. A bass clarinet body strap assembly of claim 1,wherein a reinforced material is attached on the first end and thesecond end.
 4. A bass clarinet body strap assembly of claim 1, whereinthe hook is having two ends, and wherein one end is a closed loop usedfor attachment by the lace, and another end is open so that it can hookonto the bass clarinet's eye attachment point that is built into thebass clarinet.